


What Are Friends For?

by Leahelisabeth (fortheloveofcamelot)



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Coming Out, Gen, making new friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-18
Updated: 2017-09-18
Packaged: 2018-12-31 10:06:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12130128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fortheloveofcamelot/pseuds/Leahelisabeth
Summary: MooMaw really should have called ahead.  Now she's at Samwell on the Haus porch and nobody's home but Lardo.





	What Are Friends For?

She climbed out of the cab and straightened slowly up. Her back protested the hours on the airplane and then the time spent in the taxi cab. So this was Samwell. And this was the Haus. Eric had talked about it so many times that she felt like she had been here before. 

“Do you want me to carry this in for you, ma’am?” the cab driver interrupted her reverie.

“Just put it on the porch,” she smiled. “My grandson will haul it the rest of the way in.”

He left her heavy suitcase at the top of the rickety steps and drove away before she could bring herself to knock. But she couldn’t stand out on the porch all day and so she rapped twice on the peeling door with one wrinkled fist.

A tiny Asian girl opened the door and smiled.

“I’m here to see Eric,” the woman smiled sadly.

“Oh! I’m so sorry!” the girl said. “He’s in Providence for the weekend. Was he expecting you?”

“Oh...no...I guess I should have called.”

“Look, why don’t you come in and have a cup of tea and I’ll text Bits and see what’s up. My name is Larissa,” the girl said.

“Ah yes, the one Eric calls Lardo?” the woman beamed. “I’ve heard plenty about you.

“That’d be me,” Lardo grinned and peered around the woman to see her suitcase on the porch. “Is that yours?”

“Yes, dear, I would haul it in myself but I’m afraid it’s a little too heavy for me and I expected Eric…” the woman bit her lip and looked around.

“I’ll just haul it in the door. The rest of the guys are with Bitty in Providence for the game tonight,” Lardo smiled.

“If you’re sure. It’s pretty heavy,” the woman fussed around the suitcase a little bit. But Lardo hauled it up without too much trouble and set it just inside the door.

“Whew,” Lardo gasped. “What are you carrying in there? Books?”

“Oh,” the woman chuckled. “Eric mentioned that he didn’t have a good cast iron frying pan and I thought I’d bring him one and a couple of dutch ovens. Can’t have too many when you’re cooking for a houseful of hungry boys.”

“I suppose not. So you must be Bitty’s grandma?” Lardo asked.

“Oh lord, did I not introduce myself? Please, call me MooMaw,” she reached out and shook Lardo’s hand firmly.

Oh sweet, I’ve always wanted to meet the woman who taught Bitty his kitchen skills,” Lardo gushed.

“Well, his momma had a lot to do with that too. I can’t take all the credit,” MooMaw blushed.

“Well, you’re used to southern hospitality and I’m sure I can’t compare to that but come into the kitchen and I’ll put some tea in the microwave. Or would you prefer coffee?” Lardo led MooMaw into the kitchen.

“Oh, I don’t want to put you out,” Moomaw said softly. “If you call me a cab, I can go to a hotel until Eric gets back.”

“Oh, don’t be silly. You’re Bitty’s fam, that means you’re welcome anytime.” Lardo grinned as she put the coffee on and found a few slices of pie left from Bitty’s last batch.

MooMaw looked around and could see the clear evidence of Eric’s presence. There were several pie pins in the dish rack and the rolling pin sat out on the counter. Certain parts of the counter were cluttered with normal university living detritus but then other areas were scoured clean with trace amounts of flour in hard to reach areas. A set of canisters identical to Suzanne’s were lined up carefully on the counter.

“You shoulda seen this place before Bits moved in. It was a wreck. We had an entire cupboard for nothing but hot sauce. The oven hadn’t been turned on in months and everything perishable was covered in a thick layer of mold. He’s done a lot of good here,” Lardo explained when she saw MooMaw looking around.

“He’s a good boy,” MooMaw looked down at her cup of coffee and stirred it again even though it didn’t really need it.

“MooMaw,” Lardo started. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to but...why are you here? It isn’t that you’re not welcome. It’s just that you’ve always waited for Bitty to go back to Georgia. And you seem...sad.”

Moomaw gazed out the kitchen window. “Eric told me you were perceptive.”

“But seriously, no pressure or whatever. You can sit here and drink your coffee and I’ll go do laundry or something.” Lardo sat back and made as if to leave the table.

“No, you’re right,” MooMaw said softly. “You know about Eric, right? And the Zimmerman boy?”

“Yes,” Lardo said carefully. MooMaw could almost see the shutters coming down behind her eyes.

“You should know I’m so proud of him and I would never judge him for who he loves. That’s not why I’m here,” MooMaw reached out to Lardo and rubbed her hand.

Lardo sighed, relieved. “I know he came out to his parents three days ago and...well it didn’t exactly go well. That’s why he went to Providence at the last minute. He needed a little extra support.”

“I suppose I should have expected that,” MooMaw smiled. “Jack is a good boy. He’s been good for Eric.”

“So you’re here to support him?” Lardo asked.

“Well yes...but…” MooMaw looked at Lardo and considered. “I’m so proud of that boy. He’s always followed his own path. And now that he’s come out to us, he can finally be his truest self and stop pretending. So I’m here to tell him I love him but I’m also here to...stop pretending.” She looked nervously at Lardo but the younger girl said nothing and waited for her to continue.

“I loved Alan, my husband, for many years and I don’t regret marrying him because without him, I would not have my daughter, Suzanne, or Eric. But when I was in university, I met a girl. Her name was Rose. She was so beautiful. And sometimes I wonder what might have happened if I cared a little less about what other people thought and a little more about what I wanted and needed,” MooMaw said sadly. “And, I don’t know, maybe it would have been better for Eric if I had told someone about this sooner. Maybe I would have raised Suzanne differently and she would be more open-minded now.”

“First of all, thank you for telling me. I feel honoured that you felt you could tell me this.” Lardo grabbed MooMaw’s hands and smiled sincerely. “And second, I know you can second guess yourself like crazy when it comes down to making the decision to let someone in on your secrets. But it doesn’t matter because if you aren’t ready to come out, you don’t have to come out. No one has the right to expect you to be okay with this. You can come out to Bitty this weekend if you want but you don’t have to do it for him. You can do it for you.”

“Oh,” MooMaw said, wiping a tear from her eye. “No one has ever said that to me before. I guess I’ve just always been told that I should put everyone else’s needs before mine. It’s just part of being a good hostess.”

“Well, part of being a good guest is recognizing the needs of your host too. It’s okay to be selfish every once in awhile,” Lardo said.

At that moment, Lardo’s phone rang. “Hey, Bits, your MooMaw showed up for a visit.” Then she stopped talking while Bitty’s southern drawl babbled on.

“He can be here in 3 hours if he leaves now,” Lardo told MooMaw.

“Oh, lord, no, I don’t want him to miss the hockey game. And I bet he and Jack have plans after. Tell him he can spend the night and come back tomorrow morning. I’ll be fine.” She grinned at Lardo. I have a friend here after all.”

After Eric hung up, MooMaw stood up and dusted off her hands. She picked up her plate and put it in the sink. “Now, I’m sure those boys will be hungry when they get back and it looks like we just polished off the last of the pie. How would you like to help me make a few more. And maybe I’ll make my famous fried chicken for lunch tomorrow with my special mac and cheese casserole. Do you want to help me?”

Lardo jumped up. “Heck yes, I would. I don’t know a lot about cooking but sometimes Bits lets me be an extra pair of hands so I’m good at following directions.”

“And maybe after we’ve got everything prepped you can show me some of your art? Maybe you can show me a thing or two as well. You’re never too old to learn something new,” MooMaw asked hopefully.

“Of course,” Lardo said. “What are friends for?”


End file.
